Post by richnorri on Mar 31, 2009 16:26:14 GMT
All Angels are featured in the March/April 2009 issue of Shropshire Woman.
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Athough born in London, Melanie spent all of her childhood growing up in Shrewsbury and happily calls it her hometown. Now 20 and in her first year studying French and Spanish at UCL, she has found that being an Angel is an education in itself.
“It has encouraged me to explore more classical pieces. My sister won a choral scholarship to Kings College, so there’s a musical influence in my family.
“I’ve been able to feed off her knowledge and pick all her music off iTunes. Some of my friends listen to classical music and I hope more people will explore it, because by making a little more effort you can discover a whole new universe,” she adds.
Now Melanie is hoping that with the release of their third album later this month, the Angels, who haven’t yet ventured further afield than Scotland and Ireland, can broaden their horizons with some overseas touring.
The enforced togetherness of being in a group has resulted in the quartet becoming really good friends.
“I have enjoyed singing virtually all of my life and now that I have the opportunity to do it as a career it’s a dream come true, “ says Melanie.
The songbird began her education at St. Winifred’s Convent, moving on to the Shrewsbury Junior High School where her love of music took flight. At the age of eight she joined the Shrewsbury Children’s Choir, run by Lorna Cross, who set Melanie on her long musical journey to stardom.
By 10 Melanie had already passed her Grade 5 violin with distinction and was playing Joseph in the school production of Joseph And His Amazing Technicolor Dream Coat.
She then spent two years at Prestfelde Preparatory School where she became heavily involved in the music scene, performing regularly in the choir and chamber choir and as head of orchestra.
From 13 to 18 she attended Wycombe Abbey School in Buckinghamshire where she eventually became head of choir and performed regularly in school concerts and competed in local singing competitions, such as the Marlow Music Festival.
At the tender age of 16 Melanie decided to take her voice to the next level by receiving expert instruction from Yvonne Barclay. She went on to achieve Grade 8 singing, with distinction.
Melanie says it was George Bevan, her director of music at Wycombe, who suggested that she audition for the group. “I am extremely grateful to him that he gave me that opportunity,” she says.
The journey to stardom
Releasing their debut album at Christmas 2006, the girls shot to number nine in the album charts and to number two in the classical charts.
The second, released at Christmas 2007, was also a great success and, to date, the girls have sold over 500,000 copies of their albums, with the first going platinum. The girls have been fortunate enough to perform in some amazing venues.
In both 2006 and 2007 All Angels were invited to sing at the Festival Of Remembrance at the Albert Hall where they also performed for the Classical Brits awards in 2006 when they were nominated for Best Album against such names as Sting and Bryn Terfel. Unfortunately, they just lost out to global superstar Paul McCartney.
And sporting events do not escape the musical magic of All Angels. The quartet has sung twice at Twickenham, acting as lucky mascots for the England rugby team, as on both occasions, the home side were the victors. The girls have also performed at the football World Cup Final with Kelly Rowland, at Wembley.
Most of all, the girls enjoy performing live and have spent much of their three years touring the country, playing in such diverse venues as the magnificent Blenheim Palace for the Make A Wish Foundation, to singing in the freezing cold outside the Royal Bank of Scotland.[/size][/quote]
Richard
The Voice of an Angel
In the autumn of 2006, the four teenage members of All Angels were a phenomenon-in-waiting, about to deliver their debut album to an unsuspecting public. Three years on they can now justly claim to be the world’s first female classical supergroup. One of their number, the beautiful Melanie Nakhla, has strong ties with Shrewsbury.
In the autumn of 2006, the four teenage members of All Angels were a phenomenon-in-waiting, about to deliver their debut album to an unsuspecting public. Three years on they can now justly claim to be the world’s first female classical supergroup. One of their number, the beautiful Melanie Nakhla, has strong ties with Shrewsbury.
Athough born in London, Melanie spent all of her childhood growing up in Shrewsbury and happily calls it her hometown. Now 20 and in her first year studying French and Spanish at UCL, she has found that being an Angel is an education in itself.
“It has encouraged me to explore more classical pieces. My sister won a choral scholarship to Kings College, so there’s a musical influence in my family.
“I’ve been able to feed off her knowledge and pick all her music off iTunes. Some of my friends listen to classical music and I hope more people will explore it, because by making a little more effort you can discover a whole new universe,” she adds.
Now Melanie is hoping that with the release of their third album later this month, the Angels, who haven’t yet ventured further afield than Scotland and Ireland, can broaden their horizons with some overseas touring.
The enforced togetherness of being in a group has resulted in the quartet becoming really good friends.
“I have enjoyed singing virtually all of my life and now that I have the opportunity to do it as a career it’s a dream come true, “ says Melanie.
The songbird began her education at St. Winifred’s Convent, moving on to the Shrewsbury Junior High School where her love of music took flight. At the age of eight she joined the Shrewsbury Children’s Choir, run by Lorna Cross, who set Melanie on her long musical journey to stardom.
By 10 Melanie had already passed her Grade 5 violin with distinction and was playing Joseph in the school production of Joseph And His Amazing Technicolor Dream Coat.
She then spent two years at Prestfelde Preparatory School where she became heavily involved in the music scene, performing regularly in the choir and chamber choir and as head of orchestra.
From 13 to 18 she attended Wycombe Abbey School in Buckinghamshire where she eventually became head of choir and performed regularly in school concerts and competed in local singing competitions, such as the Marlow Music Festival.
At the tender age of 16 Melanie decided to take her voice to the next level by receiving expert instruction from Yvonne Barclay. She went on to achieve Grade 8 singing, with distinction.
Melanie says it was George Bevan, her director of music at Wycombe, who suggested that she audition for the group. “I am extremely grateful to him that he gave me that opportunity,” she says.
The journey to stardom
Releasing their debut album at Christmas 2006, the girls shot to number nine in the album charts and to number two in the classical charts.
The second, released at Christmas 2007, was also a great success and, to date, the girls have sold over 500,000 copies of their albums, with the first going platinum. The girls have been fortunate enough to perform in some amazing venues.
In both 2006 and 2007 All Angels were invited to sing at the Festival Of Remembrance at the Albert Hall where they also performed for the Classical Brits awards in 2006 when they were nominated for Best Album against such names as Sting and Bryn Terfel. Unfortunately, they just lost out to global superstar Paul McCartney.
And sporting events do not escape the musical magic of All Angels. The quartet has sung twice at Twickenham, acting as lucky mascots for the England rugby team, as on both occasions, the home side were the victors. The girls have also performed at the football World Cup Final with Kelly Rowland, at Wembley.
Most of all, the girls enjoy performing live and have spent much of their three years touring the country, playing in such diverse venues as the magnificent Blenheim Palace for the Make A Wish Foundation, to singing in the freezing cold outside the Royal Bank of Scotland.[/size][/quote]
Richard